This heretic cannot be burned, he must be hung up and whipped!

However, the reality is cruel. For the current European navies, breaking through the blockade formed by the heretical surface fleet and a large number of underwater submarines and establishing a safe and stable trade route is simply a fantasy.

The navy is a service that requires long-term development, as the saying goes, "Ten years for the army, a hundred years for the navy." Governments issued death orders to their respective admirals, demanding plans to break through the naval blockade. However, the responses were invariably negative. Even the admiralty of England, the leading naval power with nearly ten battleships and two aircraft carriers, offered a dismal assessment.

The Lord High Admiral of England wrote in a private letter to the King:

“…Your Majesty, I understand your urgent need to engage in trade and colonization with America, which is undoubtedly the hope for the future of the kingdom.

However, I must explain the current predicament to Your Majesty: If we want to establish a safe and stable shipping route, we must first engage in a decisive naval battle with the heretic navy in the Atlantic Ocean, destroying more than two-thirds of their main force—at least their surface forces. Only then can we barely ensure the safe passage of some ships.

The risk is too great, Your Majesty. The navy is not the army. Even if the army fails in Budapest, we can still withdraw 300,000 elite veterans to defend Vienna and keep the spark alive for the next counterattack.

But the Navy is different; it can lose everything in just one afternoon.

We won't have a second chance to rebuild such a fleet. If we lose control of the sea, the kingdom will be directly exposed to the threat of heresy. I believe that rashly engaging in a decisive naval battle without a clear chance of victory would be tantamount to gambling the fate of the kingdom on a desperate gamble.

The naval assessments of other countries are similar. Faced with the scale of the Hell Navy, the submarine threat hidden in the deep sea, and the harassment of the heretic infiltration forces in the coastal waters, governments can only face this fact:

They couldn't open up this lifeline on their own with the existing material power. They needed extraordinary strength, the legendary figure Neos, who could travel through the warp and ignore physical obstacles.

Negotiating with Neos became the only option.

Neos was also planning to take advantage of this opportunity to profit from the various countries. His base in the Carpathian Mountains needed a large number of technical personnel, industrial equipment, well-trained soldiers, loyal and hardworking residents, and various materials to build and strengthen his "Iron Ambition".

"We in Carpathia lack everything except the will to continue fighting against humanity's enemies. As the Grand Marshal of the Protectorate, I welcome all fellow human beings willing to lend a hand and will accept any assistance they offer!"

The message was clear: You want the benefits of America? Trade them with your resources!

Since such a crucial negotiation with Neos was imminent, and the future of Europe was at stake, all nations were eager to demonstrate sufficient sincerity and grandeur. The British Isles, the Kingdom of France, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Kingdom of Italy, the Holy Roman Empire, the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Norway, and the Kingdom of Sweden…nearly every major European power sent a delegation of the highest caliber.

The group included diplomats, important military figures, and even the crown prince. They gave both face and substance, hoping to express their respect for Neos and emphasize the importance of this meeting.

However, when Neos received the formal invitation and saw that the meeting place was set in Rome, he felt a strong sense of unease.

"Rome? The Holy City of Rome?!"

This was not a safe place for negotiations. The heretic legions had already reached the gates of Venice, just over 500 kilometers from Rome, and the Crusaders were engaged in a difficult standoff.

This distance was well within the combat radius of the Heretic bombers. Furthermore, Sicily, in southern Italy, was also facing constant harassment and infiltration by Heretic infiltration forces. Choosing such a dangerous location on the edge of the front lines to hold such important multinational talks...

This is so weird and wrong!

"Could it be the Hongmen Feast?" Neos paced the room, his mind racing with possibilities. He shook his head, dismissing the idea.

"No, the nations wouldn't be foolish enough to risk so many important diplomats, generals, or even heirs. If something unexpected were to happen, the entire core of power in Europe would be shaken. This logic doesn't make sense..."

"Could it be... God?"

The storm in the warp has subsided, and the Strategic Prophecy Committee has regained its ability to communicate with God. The meeting place is set in the holy city of Rome - a city believed to be the place where God resides on earth and has a strong power of faith - here, God's power should be able to be enhanced in some way.

"If He plots to kill me," Neos said, "He can use this opportunity to control all the political leaders here. Once they become His puppets, He can easily extend His tentacles to the Americas, control the wealth and power of that continent, and completely dominate the fate of mankind."

Luce asked:

"Saint, I believe it is impossible that the nations could not see the danger of Rome. Yet they still agreed to send such an important dignitary here. This either means that the leaders of the nations have been completely controlled by the church or some higher power and have lost their ability to make independent judgments;

Or they believe they have something to gain from whether you or the other side ultimately wins this potential fight.”

"Arrogant! Too arrogant! They are walking on a tightrope—no, on a hairline! Aren't they afraid of being controlled by God?"

Dominica nodded and added, "This world is a giant makeshift team. Don't think your allies are too smart. Sometimes outrageous things happen in real life that even novels wouldn't dare to write about!

In my experience over the past hundred years, I have learned that most of the intelligence about God that various countries have obtained is through church channels, and the ones who hold this intelligence are those traitors to humanity - the Strategic Prophecy Committee.

These nations were insufficiently aware of the potential harm posed by God, or rather, they still harbored unrealistic fantasies and reverence for God's nature. Coupled with their greed for the vast wealth of the Americas, this shortsightedness and desire contributed to their decision to choose a location like Rome.

"Hmm," Neos nodded slightly, agreeing with their analysis.

"Furthermore, the Pope has not come forward yet, and there has been no official statement related to this. Perhaps something is wrong with him, or perhaps he himself is part of the plan."

"Comrades, we must prepare for the worst - the journey to Rome and the upcoming talks will not be as simple as they appear.

Come, everyone, let's have a meeting. We need to carefully assess all potential threats and develop a thorough response plan. No matter who it is, it won't be easy to trap me in Rome!

--------

A few days ago, Rome.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict was hunched over a mountain of official business. Official documents, reports, letters of assistance from churches around the world, and urgent reports from the front lines about battle conditions and demonic visions threatened to overwhelm him.

Although he was in the core of the holy city, shrouded in a sacred aura, and theoretically the most powerful person on the planet, he really didn't want to continue.

The war that has lasted for more than eight centuries, especially the rapid deterioration in recent years, has made this vast Christian world shaky. Every pope has maintained a fragile balance between God and man, like walking on a tightrope. Now, it is finally coming to an end.

"Om——"

A sudden, bone-chilling chill seized him without warning.

This wasn't a physical chill, but a shudder that came from the depths of his soul, a pure, oppressive feeling from a higher dimension. An intense panic surged through his heart like a tide, a feeling he was both incredibly familiar with and incredibly fearful of.

"boom!"

The power from the Warp has arrived!

Visible ripples spread across the surrounding space, turning the air into a thick liquid. The solemn hymns within the church became distorted, and the light reflected from the stained glass windows began to flicker in strange patterns.

That power—that huge, cold, oppressive power—was so familiar to him! It was "God," the being with whom he had made a deal, mortgaging his soul and strength.

He finally broke through the warp storm and re-established connection with this world and his "container".

Although the bright sunlight still streamed through the tall dome outside the window, illuminating him, he felt as if he had instantly fallen into the depths of the polar ocean: cold, dark, heavy, and almost impossible to breathe. The terror of his soul being squeezed and scrutinized made him instinctively want to curl up.

The next second, a voice rang out in the room. No, it was more like it exploded directly from the depths of his soul—that vicious, possessive hissing voice:

"Long time no see, my sweetest container~"

Benedict fell to his knees.

All his power, long ago, in that hopeless bargain, had been transferred to this being who called himself God; his soul was destined to be completely devoured by it at some point. Facing such a being, how could he possibly have the wherewithal to confront it head-on?

But the doubts in his heart always need to be answered.

"Clap!"

The door to the room was violently flung open. The two Soulless Guardians who had been guarding the entrance were instantly reduced to a mass of rotten flesh by the power of God! From behind the door, several figures slowly entered. They were fully armed, holding spears adorned with holy emblems.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The footsteps were in perfect unison. These were the core members of the Strategic Prediction Committee.

As soon as they entered, they immediately knelt down in the direction of where Benedict had knelt—the area enveloped by the gaze and power of "God," where the spatial ripples were most intense. Fear was no longer on their faces, but instead a heart-pounding enthusiasm and ecstasy.

"Glory to you! Lord Almighty! You have finally shone upon your people again!"

Previously, the chaos of the Warp had cut off their direct contact with God, and they could only guess at His will through rituals and vague prophecies. But now, the Supreme Being had finally arrived again, responding to their piety and waiting!

As they bowed their heads in worship, they chanted the words of praise in a tone that was almost groaning and full of lust:

"The darkness of the ether sea cannot block your brilliance! Our wait is not in vain!" "You are the only true God! We offer you everything!"

Some elderly members of the committee drew ceremonial daggers from their bosoms and, without hesitation, carved the marks of the cross on their chests and arms. Blood immediately gushed out, soaking their robes, but they seemed to feel no pain. Instead, this act of sacrifice intensified their excitement, their eyes brimming with fervor.

"You—" Benedict struggled to lift his head from the ground, his voice practically spitting out word by word through gritted teeth. He looked at the group of fanatics before him who were harming themselves for a suspected imposter, and indescribable sadness and anger welled up in his heart.

"Oh?"

The hissing sound came again, with a hint of surprise.

It seemed as if Benedict, a drained "vessel," still had the strength to speak, piqued His interest. The power enveloping him withdrew slightly, giving him a moment to breathe, as if wanting to hear what this sweetest vessel had to say.

Benedict took advantage of this brief moment and, with all his strength, uttered the words that had been lingering in his heart ever since he read Neos's report:

"Are you finally done with your acting? The demon of the warp?"

This sentence was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up huge waves.

After a brief silence, what followed was not the expected ridicule or calm denial, but rage.

"Hmm?!" The hissing sound suddenly rose in pitch, and then, a subspace energy that was a hundred times stronger than before exploded!

"boom--!"

A terrifying vision suddenly unfolded not only in this meeting room but throughout St. Peter's Basilica and even in the skies above Rome. The images of saints in the stained-glass windows began to distort and wail in agony. The ancient murals on the walls seemed to come alive, their angels transformed into hideous monsters. The ground trembled, as if some immense being were awakening beneath the earth.

Over Rome, the once clear sky was suddenly enveloped by eerie dark clouds, taking on an unsettling blood-red hue, as if on fire. The air was thick with the smell of burning sulfur and protein, and in the distance, faint, apocalyptic wails and screams could be heard—those were not real physical sounds, but rather the distorted reverberations of the Warp's energy erupting into the real world.

The Sodom fire seems to be about to reappear!

"Apocalypse...Apocalypse has come!!!"

Throughout Rome, every believer with a tenuous connection to the Warp, wherever they were, simultaneously felt this terrifying fury. Their minds were flooded with distorted images and sounds—visions of hell, the whispers of demons, the corruption of holy things, and the raging roar of that hissing voice, amplified countless times. Hallucinations, both auditory and visual, spread like a plague throughout the holy city.

The shallow believers only felt a little irritated, while the fanatical believers held their heads and wailed in pain, and some even went crazy and fell to the ground.

"Which heretic said that?! Who?"

How could this self-proclaimed God care so much about "which heretic said this"? This wasn't just anger at being offended, but more like the rage and shame of having a secret exposed, and the eagerness to block the news.

"Who said that! Tell me! I will burn the demon who offended me to ashes!" The voice was filled with murderous intent and an obvious sense of urgency.

"God" brought down more power, and His voice was confined to this room by the spell, so it did not directly cause a more terrible physical disaster, but the reality in the room was distorted even more severely.

The view outside the window was no longer of the buildings of Rome, but a shimmering, eerie, and volatile warp. Distorted stars, blurred shapes, and indescribable hues gradually replaced the familiar world, completely isolating this room and its occupants from reality.

God directly pulled this church from the real world into the subspace.

Benedict watched the rapidly changing scene outside the window and listened to "God's" panic-filled rage, and the last trace of doubt in his heart completely dissipated.

To be precise, it is a relief. Countless historical doubts over the past 800 years can now be answered.

All the popes knew was that the Crusaders had committed the ultimate heresy in Jerusalem, and that their actions had led to the advent of the devil. For stability's sake, this secret was covered up by the church, and only a handful of high-ranking officials knew the truth. The vast majority of the rest only knew the official propaganda:

"During the Crusades, a demon suddenly descended and stopped the Crusaders' pilgrimage. From then on, mankind began a war that lasted for more than 800 years."

After reading the "Report on the Investigation of American Civilization" brought back by Neos, he learned that there were native gods on that continent that were completely different from those in Europe, seemed to be older, and closer to the earth and nature. He had already begun to have some doubts about the identity of this "God".

The deity described in that report was vastly different from the feeling given by this self-proclaimed God—cold, oppressive, demanding, and transactional.

And now, seeing that God was so anxious after being questioned by him, and was using enormous power to isolate him from reality at all costs, just to protect his own "authority" - no, Benedict now understood that He was doing it to protect his own secret.

This reaction wasn't what a truly omniscient, almighty, and almighty god should be like. A true god would only feel pity or disdain for a mortal's questioning, not such obvious panic and murderous intent.

No wonder there are almost no relevant records in history books, so that's why...

Benedict's heart miraculously felt a sense of calm because of this certainty. He looked at the existence before him that had been disguised for over 800 years, and with the last bit of his strength, he said calmly, yet powerfully:

"You...are an imposter, right? Then where is the real Him?"

"God" did not answer him.

In the warp realm He ruled, words were superfluous. He chose the most direct and effective means. An invisible force instantly broke through Benedict's final mental defenses and directly penetrated the depths of his soul.

He wanted to search Benedict's memory. Bit by bit, minute by minute. He wanted to know which heretic had revealed his secrets!

The price of knowing all this was the complete erasure of Benedict's existence as an individual. In the moments before his soul was completely devoured, Benedict's mind flashed back to Neos's eyes, the descriptions of the ancient gods in the "Report on the Survey of American Civilization," and the hope for humanity's future that Dr. Obert had conveyed over the radio during the rocket's liftoff...

He exchanged his own destruction for a last glimpse of the truth.

PS: Actually, Bei Zhai has already written some details in the previous chapters, but some readers did not read carefully and directly said in the comment section that Bei Zhai was not capable of writing well and was forcing the story to be criticized. Now I can finally reveal the truth about God (very happy)

No Prize Contest: What Happened to the Real God?

Red Tide: 1921: A Statement on Religion

Because the next chapter will describe the tragedy that occurred in Jerusalem in 1099 and reveal the truth about the "God" of this book and what happened to the real God, Beizhai will provide a unified explanation of the following points of conflict and contradiction that may arise between different religions:

Judaism and Catholicism appear in this book. Since the Great Schism of Christianity occurred before the First Crusade, it also includes Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam (Sunni), and other religions.

Regarding the main perspective of the next chapter, Chapter 7:23 uses Jesus instead of other prophets such as Muhammad, Yahweh, Moses, etc.

Because Islam recognizes Abraham as the first prophet, Muhammad is considered to be the son of Abraham's son Ishmael. In this book, Muhammad is recognized as a preacher who was inspired by God. Beizhai made such an arrangement only out of the needs of the novel's monotheistic worldview, and not to deliberately belittle or drag down the Islamic faith.

The Iron Wall Sultanate of this book adopts Sunni rather than Shia faith.

This book recognizes the Trinity, namely, the Father Jehovah, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. After Jesus ascended to heaven, this book will use "God" as a synonym.

Considering that the official account of Trench Crusades implies that it was God who sent down the iron wall on the Iron Wall Sultanate, this book concludes that Allah and God are one and the same. Bei Zhai has no intention of offending the Muslim faith. Please tolerate Bei Zhai. Thank you very much.

This book is based on the New Testament. Regarding the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of Judaism, which states that "God will eventually send a Messiah to revive the Jewish nation," this book identifies Jesus as the Messiah.

Since the Chinese version of the god worshipped by these religions is uniformly called "God" in China, and the names of the gods of various religions are vaguely summarized as God, Beizhai does not make detailed divisions and explanations, and uniformly uses "God" as a generalization.

I'll stop here first. Bei Zhai experienced a religious terrorist attack when he was a child (for details, please see the miscellaneous volume: On the inspiration that Teacher Da D gave Bei Zhai), so he is more sensitive to religious issues. Thank you for your understanding.

Red Tide: 1921: Chapter 66: The Massacre